


Darkness

by Shadow15



Series: From Dusk to Dawn the Dark is Endless [9]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Concussions, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Injury, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:14:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25059814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow15/pseuds/Shadow15
Summary: Quill can't sleep again, but maybe it's a good thing as he hears his neighbour in trouble. Sometimes Quill wished he didn't care as much as he does because it only ever seems to get him into trouble - well, this time, Thor into trouble.And knowing Thor, his insecurities would be rife this time.
Relationships: Peter Quill/Thor
Series: From Dusk to Dawn the Dark is Endless [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1102986
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	Darkness

Quill couldn’t always sleep through the nights, even with the aid of his antidepressants that usually tranquilised him at night. It was no matter, though; when he wasn’t going to be able to get back to sleep until past sunrise, he’d take the TV remote from the bedside drawers and snuggle in close against Thor’s chest as he watched TV. 

Quill was surprised to have found an enjoyable TV show playing re-runs at four in the morning - at least, he was surprised to have found something that was making him laugh so much, he kept his fist in his mouth to stifle his amusement lest he wake Thor up. 

Strangely enough, Quill’s attention was grabbed by a soft banging noise so quiet, he’d almost thought it was just background noise on the TV show. That was, until from beside him, Cosmo lifted his head from the mattress and growled. 

Quill instantly turned the volume down from the three it was already sitting on, trying to listen closely and decipher what the noise was; no one else in the apartment complex tended to be awake so early apart from Quill. 

“Thor?” Quill rocked Thor’s shoulder, but Thor was sound asleep, knocked out by his own antidepressants and not about to wake up even for an earthquake. 

Quill looked at the wall separating their bedroom from the neighbour’s own. He could hear voices floating through the wall now that he’d muted the TV. He’d almost thought he’d caught them in an act of intimacy at the moaning he was now hearing, and just as he’d gone to turn the volume up louder to block it out, he heard crying, and the familiar voice of his neighbour begging someone to stop. 

Quill felt sick. He rocked Thor’s shoulder again, violently this time. “Thor! Wake up!” 

But Thor wasn’t so much as moving, and with Sasha now sitting up and growling at the wall as well, Quill knew what he had to do. 

Quill didn’t call the police. He didn’t see any reason to. The police had never helped  _ him  _ in those situations, so he didn’t hold much faith that they’d care too much about his neighbour. 

Instead, Quill disentangled himself from Thor’s arms and got out of bed so he could pick his clothing up from the floor and don them on his naked body.

“Stay, you two,” Quill whispered to the dogs who had both gotten off the bed to follow him out of the apartment. “Stay here with Thor.” 

With every step to his front door Quill took, his throat felt tighter. When he was finally standing outside his neighbour’s door, his hand poised to knock, he felt like he was going to vomit. 

The door opened not long after he knocked, and Quill found himself face-to-face with his neighbour. Quill couldn’t help but notice the distress in her features. “Hey, is everything okay?” 

Her eyes were wide, and her voice trembled as she mumbled, “Y-yes… E-everything is fine. I was just… cleaning.” 

Quill glanced into the dark apartment behind her to see what he could make out. It was too dark to see anything of alarm, so Quill let his eyes meet the woman’s once more as he murmured, “I can take a look if you need…” 

While the woman’s eyes overflowed with tears, and she let out a loud sob, she also shoved at Quill to get him to leave. But Quill, who knew what it was like to suffer so much pain, couldn’t let himself be pushed away; instead, he grabbed her wrist and tugged her outside of her apartment and into the corridor, hoping she would come with him. 

To Quill’s relief, she closed the distance between them to plaster herself against his back, as if she’d given up fighting him and now just wanted his protection - but his protection against  _ what?  _

Quill said nothing as he started dragging her away from her apartment and towards his own so he could put her somewhere safe while he investigated, but before he could get very far, he was knocked from his feet by a blow to the back of his head that left his whole world in a daze. 

The woman was screaming now, begging for her life, and Quill could only groan and try to push himself off the ground. He cried out when a boot struck his cheek out of nowhere, knocking him back down, but he wasn’t down for the count - not yet, anyway. 

The entire apartment complex was awake now, light spilling out from beneath doors that were quickly yanked open. The barking of dogs came from all directions, not just Quill’s own, and shouting from the neighbours all blended into one huge commotion, Quill couldn’t make out anything that was said. 

That was why, when Quill had gotten himself back to his feet and tackled the man who had blindsided him, he jumped away with a wince as he felt a blade cutting through the muscle of his arm. He whimpered, trying to assess the situation before diving back in, but his head was pounding, and his vision was too blurred to be of much use beneath the lightheadedness that made him feel like he was passing out. 

Quill moved to the side to avoid the second slash of the knife. He kicked out, connecting with the man’s knee and making him falter. He seized the opportunity to punch, and while his fist connected with the attacker’s cheekbone, he’d been too dazed to summon enough strength for damage, or even a stun. 

Quill was grabbed by his hair and yanked forward, the blade coming forward again, but before it could make contact, a huge, bulky mass moved behind the assaulter and pulled him away. The knife diverted its course, and there was a yell of pain that was all too familiar to Quill, but he couldn’t do much about it - not when his head felt like it was going to explode from the pressure building rapidly inside his skull. 

Quill’s breathing quickened until he was hyperventilating, his eyes watering from the pressure and hands ripping at his hair to try and take away the migraine that had dropped him harder than the actual attacks had. The fight right in front of him was steadily drowned out until he could hear nothing but the ringing of his ears, and his vision faded until even the approaching lights of a police car couldn’t penetrate the darkness. 

And just like that, Quill couldn’t even take notice of being guided into an ambulance, not until the pressure finally died down, and his senses slowly came back online. 

***

Quill had been escorted back to his apartment by paramedics, with firm instructions that he was not to move or do anything that exerted too much energy until his concussion was gone. He laid down on the couch, his breathing harsh as he tried to recover from the pressure that had returned during the journey back inside. 

Quill knew that Thor was still outside somewhere, but knowing him, he’d have been comforting the neighbour who had been assaulted first, or giving his report to the police on what he had seen and heard. 

But the hours passed by, and Thor still didn’t return. Quill wanted to get up and search for him, but he was too exhausted, too sore, too sick, and he was sure that Thor was just fine; it was just one huge mess, and he would return when he could. 

So when the sun had slowly rose, and Quill had finally fallen asleep somewhere past seven, Thor still wasn’t home, but Quill was sure that it was fine. 

***

_ I will be home soon; Loki is picking me up from the hospital. _

Quill’s eyes opened blearily to the text message that had just arrived on his phone. He frowned, barely aware of the time on his phone that showed it was almost ten in the morning. He nodded, unable to stay awake long enough to text back, but when he next woke, it was to soft voices inside the apartment. 

Quill winced, acutely aware of the idea that maybe someone had gotten into his apartment next, but he relaxed when Loki entered the living with a hot mug of tea in his hands. He frowned, whining softly at the pain in his head. 

“Hey.” Loki was quiet, but there was an expression on his face that looked as if he were very shaken by something. “How are you feeling? Thor said you are concussed.” 

Quill tried to speak, but all that came out were unintelligible murmurs. His frown deepened. “...” 

Loki cleared his throat and took a seat on the armchair to give Quill his space. He patted one of the dogs that had come to say hi, but his attention was focused mostly on the tea in his hands. 

Thor’s rumbling voice called out from the kitchen. “Would you like anything to eat, Peter?” 

Quill could only manage to shake his head, and even that made him feel like he was going to vomit his guts up. 

“He does not, brother,” Loki called out for him. There was silence for a few moments before Loki finally lifted his gaze to Peter and murmured, “My brother is worried you will hate him when you see him now…” 

“Nonsense…” Peter curled further into himself, closing his eyes as it made the world spinning slow just that tiny bit more. “Why would I… hate him…” 

Thor’s footsteps stopped in the doorway at the question, and his uncomfortable tone spoke enough volume to get Quill to open his eyes again to look at him. “Because of this…” 

Quill’s eyes wandered over Thor’s body, seeing nothing out of the usual. It was when his gaze travelled up to his lover’s face did he realise now why Thor was so self-conscious, because Quill probably would have been as well had he been bandaged over one eye that seemingly insisted on bleeding viciously judging by the bloody medical patch beneath it. 

Thor shook his head. He raised one hand to touch at the patch nervously, his other hand shaking and threatening to drop the plate of fruit to the ground. His voice was almost a whisper now. “They said they could not save it… I am sorry, Peter; I will understand if you cannot love me anymore…” 

Quill groaned and grumbled a few unintelligible words before he raised a trembling hand and gestured for Thor to approach him. Thor hesitantly obeyed, his entire body shaking more and more with every step until he was finally standing before Quill, the absolute love of his life and reason to live. 

Thor was prepared for it. He was prepared for it all. The break up speech, about how it was Quill and not him, and that maybe they should start seeing other people - people with  _ two  _ eyes - and that Quill was sorry, but it just couldn’t work now.

But instead, Quill reached out slowly until his fingers were around the back of Thor’s neck and he was pulling him down for a soft kiss. 

Quill waited until Thor had broken the kiss before he stretched himself out into a loose sprawl and murmured fondly, “Idiot…” 

A single tear rolled down Thor’s cheek, and a quick glance to Loki was all he managed before he let out a loud, strangled sob, and moved to lay with Quill on the couch. He held Quill tight in his arms, refusing to let go as he cried, and the arms that held him in return were the only thing keeping him grounded. 

Quill’s mumble was pained, strangled, but clear enough for Thor to just be able to make out. “Don’t lose the other one for my stupid ass, though…” 

Thor choked on a sob as he laughed. He brushed hair from Quill’s face before he whispered, “Why would I? I would not be able to look at you and tell you how beautiful you are if I lost that one, also.” 

Quill snorted. His eyes closed again, the drowsiness too much to shake off. “Idiot. Go to sleep; you clearly need it.” 

“I can leave if you need, brother,” Loki whispered, not wanting to disturb them. 

Thor shook his head. “No, please stay… I have missed you.” 

“Okay.” Loki pulled his phone from his pocket so he could play with it, not wanting to be loud and disturb the others. He waited until they were both asleep before he put his phone and mug down so he could also curl up and rest, the stress of the hospital visit taxing on everyone. 

  
  



End file.
